Is it OK if a new wheel is a bit "stiff"?

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pofomo
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Joined: 26 May 2023, 4:09pm

Is it OK if a new wheel is a bit "stiff"?

Post by pofomo »

Hello all.

Have just bought new rear wheel for the first time. All seems fine, but there's some resistance to rotation.

When I hold the wheel by the axle and give it a gentle spin, it comes to rest in just a few seconds. There's no pendulum effect. It just halts. There's also low-level, but obvious vibration. As the wheel slows, it'll very gently pull on my fingers where it catches. If I rotate the axle in my fingertips, it feels lumpy.

When I collected the wheel, I did mention this, but the guy told me it was OK for new wheels to be stiff and that I should just ride it in. However, I'm now not so sure.

If you were adjusting the cups and cones on an existing wheel, you wouldn't set them this tight. Am also wondering whether the vibrations point to a problem. The factory can't have failed to notice the stiffness, so perhaps there's a good reason for it. Interestingly though, I bought the front wheel from the same place and that was perfectly free running.

Right now, I don't know whether to take the wheel back to the shop, adjust the cups and cones myself or ride it in as suggested.

Is it normal for new wheels to be set on the tight side? Riding no doubt will free it up, but will that mean premature wear? Is it already damaged? The wheel's a basic MTB 26" (£21) with regular axle (i.e. not QR) bought from The Electric Bike Shop. Label just says "Made in France".

Would really appreciate some advice. Not an absolute beginner, but still encountering plenty of first-time experiences like this.
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Paulatic
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Re: Is it OK if a new wheel is a bit "stiff"?

Post by Paulatic »

For a £21 wheel I wouldn’t be expecting anything near perfection. I’d. Just get on and grease and adjust the bearings to my satisfaction.
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Sum
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Re: Is it OK if a new wheel is a bit "stiff"?

Post by Sum »

If you can adjust the cup and cones yourself, I'd inspect the bearing surfaces just to check that 'lumpy feeling' doesn't mean anything else other than an overly tightened bearing, and then grease and adjust the bearings to suit afterwards.
Carlton green
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Re: Is it OK if a new wheel is a bit "stiff"?

Post by Carlton green »

Two things here:
# the cones/bearings are probably too tight on adjustment.
# the ball bearings fitted are probably of low quality, you’d be wise to replace them (do a search on ball bearings) and re-grease with appropriate grease for ball bearings.
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
cyclop
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Re: Is it OK if a new wheel is a bit "stiff"?

Post by cyclop »

I wouldn,t be happy with them.Strip and regrease,if needed.Re-assemble with a very small amount of play in the bearing which is taken up by the quick release on installing the wheel.May take a few tries but good practice.Even cheap wheels should be fit for purpose and shouldn,t be notchy to the extent you are suggesting.Saying all that,I,ve no experience of really cheap wheels,budget wheels,yes(£90?).
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Paulkentuk
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Re: Is it OK if a new wheel is a bit "stiff"?

Post by Paulkentuk »

Good news is, you know know the guy that sold you that wheel, is a charlatan !
No it shouldn't be that way, and he should have adjusted it for you there and then.
I'd be inclined to go onto Trustpilot and leave a negative review, so other folk don't experience the same shoddy customer service.
pofomo
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Joined: 26 May 2023, 4:09pm

Re: Is it OK if a new wheel is a bit "stiff"?

Post by pofomo »

Thanks very much for all the replies.

The clear impression I get is that a brand new wheel shouldn't be on the stiff side, even if it's not necessarily a surprise for it to happen with a budget part. Likewise, riding a "tight" wheel in also isn't good advice. If I've misread, please correct me!

I'll need to decide between (1) inspecting / servicing the bearings myself and (2) taking the wheel back to the shop.

The problem with option (1) is that although I've cup-and-coned before, I've no experience of servicing bearings and though I do need to learn at some point, I'm impatient to get the bike running again. Am also concerned that if I do find a fault and make a beginner's hash of the job, the shop won't take the wheel back. The problem with option (2) I guess is that a replacement wheel may not be any better.
Manc33
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Re: Is it OK if a new wheel is a bit "stiff"?

Post by Manc33 »

Paulatic wrote: 26 May 2023, 6:19pmFor a £21 wheel...
...the first thing I'd check is how loose the NDS spokes are. :P
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Sum
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Re: Is it OK if a new wheel is a bit "stiff"?

Post by Sum »

pofomo wrote: 27 May 2023, 4:37pm <...snip...>
I'll need to decide between (1) inspecting / servicing the bearings myself and (2) taking the wheel back to the shop.

The problem with option (1) is that although I've cup-and-coned before, I've no experience of servicing bearings and though I do need to learn at some point, I'm impatient to get the bike running again. Am also concerned that if I do find a fault and make a beginner's hash of the job, the shop won't take the wheel back. The problem with option (2) I guess is that a replacement wheel may not be any better.
If you inspect the bearings and find a fault e.g. the bearing surfaces are pitted and was causing that 'lumpy feeling' you've mentioned, then I'd say the shop has a responsibility for sorting it out. If you've adjusted cup and cones before and have the right tools, then it's difficult to imagine how a hash can be made of removing the bearings. Just make sure you don't lose the ball bearings.

However, if you're not feeling confident then I suggest taking the wheel back to the shop and ask them to adjust it for you. If they offer a replacement wheel, check the bearings turn smoothly before accepting it.
Stradageek
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Re: Is it OK if a new wheel is a bit "stiff"?

Post by Stradageek »

Over tightened bearings are the most common fault I find on bikes given to me to repair, especially on new-ish or little used bikes. This probably explains why the biggest fault I find on older bikes is pitted ball races :(
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Paulkentuk
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Re: Is it OK if a new wheel is a bit "stiff"?

Post by Paulkentuk »

"I'll need to decide between (1) inspecting / servicing the bearings myself and (2) taking the wheel back to the shop."

If you take the bearing apart first, be aware that the charlatan that sold that wheel to you, will probably refuse to fix it then under warranty. On the other hand he has already lied to you about the symptom, so if you take it back un-inspected he will probably offer you the same line, & send you on your way.

I would be inclined to quote the phrase " it's not suitable for the purpose it was intended" & ask for a full refund in whatever currency you paid for it originally. Alternatively you may want to slacken the bearing nuts off an 1/8" and that will probably do the job.
cyclop
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Re: Is it OK if a new wheel is a bit "stiff"?

Post by cyclop »

They,re £21-00 !!!Regard them as wheels to learn about proper set up of bearings.Cheap for gaining valuable knowledge.
pofomo
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Joined: 26 May 2023, 4:09pm

Re: Is it OK if a new wheel is a bit "stiff"?

Post by pofomo »

Manc33 wrote: 27 May 2023, 6:59pm ...the first thing I'd check is how loose the NDS spokes are. :P
The wheel's drive side spokes play a higher-pitched tune than the NDS. :) It turns out that the wheel's a Raleigh Tru-Build. For what they are, they're supposedly well made and very good value. I've seen them on-line for £18!

Many thanks for all the replies—all good advice.

Last weekend, I e-mailed the store and included a link to this thread. They suggested I bring the wheel in. It took the mechanic a few minutes to sort it. The wheel now runs freely and smoothly with no play. While waiting for a reply, I also checked out some bearings servicing videos. Fortunately, I kept the wheel I swapped out, so I have something to practice on without doing too much harm.

In answer to my question, I found this on the Sheldon Brown website.
If the cones are screwed on too far, they exert pressure on the bearing balls. This causes excessive friction; the wheel will not turn as freely as it should, and the parts will wear out prematurely. ... Poor cone adjustment is not usually obvious to a customer, but it is really quite important. If a hub is too tight, the bike will not roll as freely as it should, and the bearing surfaces will self-destruct prematurely.


However, another article on the website says bearings do require a "slight" pre-load—apparently to ensure that more than one ball-bearing is carrying load at any given time. Nonetheless, the cones must not to be so tight that the wheel is indexing and halts with only a short oscillation.

Thanks again to everyone. :D
Last edited by pofomo on 4 Jun 2023, 5:24pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jdsk
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Re: Is it OK if a new wheel is a bit "stiff"?

Post by Jdsk »

Well done. Thanks for adding the outcome.

Jonathan
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